Recently, TheHockeyNews.com has taken a gander
at wingers, defensemen and goaltenders who seem set for a full-time NHL
role next season.
Now it’s time to take a look down the middle.
Much
like the skater lists before, players considered must have been either AHL or NCAA regulars last season, still eligible for the Calder Trophy
and are at least 20 years old.
With
that, here are five breakthrough centers for the 2025-26 NHL season.
Fraser
Minten, Boston Bruins
Fraser Minten caught some eyes in 2023 when
the then 19-year-old centerman made the Toronto Maple Leafs out of camp just one year
removed from his early second round selection, even if he only stayed around
for four games. Last season, a high-ankle sprain in training camp derailed the
start to his first official professional season, however, Minten was able to
quickly return to form, appearing in 15 games with the Leafs before being
traded to the Boston Bruins as a piece of the Brandan Carlo
trade at the deadline.
Since the trade, his production in the AHL
improved, and he also joined the main team in Boston for a cup of tea – six
games to be exact. Now, Minten seems set to finally make that jump for the
young, rebuilding Bruins. Minten does everything coaches want out of a bottom-of-the-lineup
player already: defends well, blocks shots and works hard. He also boasts
NHL-ready offensive and transitional tools, including the ability to break the
puck up the ice, his solid net-front play and his shot.
All-in-all, Minten seems NHL-ready and the
Bruins’ center depth is ready to see a player like him make that jump. Minten
is ranked as the No. 3 center on the Bruins depth chart in the 2025-26 edition of The Hockey News’ Yearbook.
Ryan
Leonard, Washington Capitals
With college linemate Will Smith’s departure
to the San Jose Sharks, the Washington Capitals’ 2024 ninth-overall pick
Ryan Leonard was moved to center for what would be his final NCAA season.
Despite the transition, Leonard succeeded in droves, scoring 30 goals through
just 37 games. After helping lead Boston College to a Hockey East championship, Leonard jumped to the NHL, where in
every area but the score-sheet, Leonard looked at home.
Does Leonard need to bulk up a bit more
physically to be as imposing in the NHL as he was at the NCAA level? Sure. Is
two points through 17 NHL games not great? Yes. However, Leonard showed flashes
of high-end vision, playmaking and a hard shot, he’ll just need to get better
at finishing his chances and building his frame.
Given that the Capitals had played Leonard
exclusively on the wing, Leonard is ranked as the team’s No. 3 right winger in The
Yearbook. However, given his crash-the-net tendencies, willingness
to engage physically, and decent face-offs, do not be surprised if he plays
center now and again once the Caps face injuries down the middle.
Oliver
Kapanen, Montreal Canadiens
While Oliver Kapanen’s 18-game stint with the Montreal Canadiens last season left something to be
desired, with only two points, his play in the SHL
and the AHL in the playoffs showed promise of a player suitable for regular NHL
minutes. The former 2021 second-rounder boasts solid top-end speed, is good on
the draws and is extremely defensively responsible.
Despite being a natural C, it’s unlikely that
Kapanen will break into the Habs roster full-time as a centerman, given the
players ahead of him down the middle, including Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Alex
Newhook, and Jake Evans. With Dach’s injury issues and struggles down the
middle, there might be opportunities to get those minutes should Dach get moved
to the wing. However, as of right now, Kapanen ranks as the fifth-best right winger on the Habs.
Stephen
Halliday, Ottawa Senators
It took until Stephen Halliday’s final season
of eligibility before he was drafted to the NHL, getting nabbed in the fourth
round by the Ottawa Senators in 2022, and it certainly
wasn’t because he lacked skill. Nicknamed ‘The Disher’, Halliday set the
franchise records for the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints in both points (181)
and assists (123) thanks to an explosive
95-point campaign in 2021-22. The issue that held him out of two drafts and
held him back from being taken earlier in 2022 was his skating, which EliteProspects gave a nearly unheard of 3 out of 9
at the time.
Three seasons since his draft, he’s
transcended the NCAA, reaching the AHL and is coming off a strong first
professional season, showcasing that trademark playmaking skill and good
defensive engagement. His skating has taken strides, too, improving his
acceleration and speed. It seems as though the Sens are prioritizing his
development and making his game more suitable for the bottom-six, with him receiving one-on-one time with new
Sens player development coach Sam Gagner and the Sens director of player
health and performance, Matt Nichol.
This adjustment, alongside continued
improvements in skating form, should fast-track him to the NHL, with the
potential to jump up the lineup in the coming years. The Hockey News lists Halliday as the Sens’s
fifth-ranked centerman ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Colton
Dach, Chicago Blackhawks
There’s another Dach in the Windy City. The
younger brother of Kirby, Colton, sniffed his first 25 games of NHL action with
the Chicago Blackhawks last season after
dominating the AHL in just his second professional season. With Chicago being
the land of opportunities, the former 2021 62nd-overall pick is in a prime
position to make the full-time jump to the team’s bottom-six.
Dach boasts a 6-foot-4 frame, which he uses to
physically dictate play alongside a good shot and work ethic. Skating and
processing issues will limit his upside at the next level, preventing him from
reaching his brother’s peak, and a slump to end the season might also make the
Hawks second-guess his NHL readiness.
However, Dach is well-positioned, sitting as
the 4C on the Blackhawks’ depth chart in THN’s 2025-26 Yearbook.
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